[jlbrach]

the 535s are damn good IEM's and you are going to have a hard time finding something significantly better...i know because i own them along with the westone 3 and etymotics as well.....

 

[Kurdt-bada]

i have em along with um3x, sm3 and ex1000 and can say they are the worst of them i prefer much the signature of the old shure 530 the bass was much better, shure 535 are boring with custom tips and with an ibasso and still find bass and specially drums impact lacking, they perform well in electronic pop and jazz but as i said i find the others perfom better in almost every genre of course its only my opinion.

 

[HiDefJ]

Quote:

Heard both, have W4 - honestly if you HAVE to get something different the W4 is the way to go if not willing to take the gamble on customs (because the ES5 is TOTALLY in your reach at 1000). 
 
That being said, I love the W4 but it's not a LOT better than the Shure 535. It's just different and one could only call one better than the other by preference. I'd probably listen to a few different IEMs and see the kind of sound you like: for example with that kind of money, you could probably get both the high end phonak and the W4 and see which you like better. OR you can take the k3003 for a while, although it's slightly outside of your budget. 
 
There are a lot of things to consider, but with a budget like that, you are bound to find the sound you want; if not with one IEM, then with two - I know I went through the same phase before ending up with both the W4 and UM3X to cover all of the genres I listen to.

 
I have the W4 and I'm considering the UM3X. What genres of music do you listen to? Do you use a certain IEM to a particular genre? What are the differences between the two IEMs?
 
 

 

[ubercaffeinated]

Quote:

 
I have the W4 and I'm considering the UM3X. What genres of music do you listen to? Do you use a certain IEM to a particular genre? What are the differences between the two IEMs?
 
 

I use the UM3X to get up close and personal with female vocals - the small sound stage and bumped up mids make it idea for that. 
 
The W4 is still my go to IEM for almost everything else though. The flat signature and large sound stage are just real nice.

 

[IEMCrazy]

Before running the gambit of upgrade-itis, are you certain you're really unhappy with the SE535 bass?  It's not that there aren't bassier headphones, it's not that you may not have different preferences for different sound signatures, but the trouble with IEMs, when a well rounded headphone gets a comment like anemic bass the question that has to be asked is: "just how anemic would you describe your bass.'

It's not an IEM for bass-heads, but it's a very well-rounded IEM, along with W4.  The sound signature reminds me very much of my Senn HD650 on slightly warm tubes with the nice liquid mids, which is why I like the 535's.  While not a "basshead" can like, say, Denon, or even some Ultrasones, HD650 holds its own with realistic bass.  Some argue it's even boomy.

Are you looking for more of a Denon-like bass from your IEM, or are you not getting all the SE535's bass due to a bad seal or other ergonomic issues?  What tips are you using?  Are you sure the seal is tight?  Are you sure they're fitting into your ear correctly, etc?

When I first got my SE535's I thought they were lacking some bass I expected, even though I thought I had a good seal.  With some experimenting I learned that the olives (black foams)  weren't sealed as well as I thought...getting them a little deeper solved that problem and the bass appeared.

Of course if you have ergonomic issues preventing a good seal, it may still mean it's the wrong IEM for you, of course.  But it's an important thing to consider when you're already at the high-end of universals and find it's lacking something...especially if it's bass.

To argue the opposite side for you, though, the nature of BA drivers is to not be overwhelmingly bass heavy.  To my opinion, for what it's worth, the bass is very natural and realistic.  For someone who craves heavy bass, it may seem light.  The only way to fix that is to move away from BA and back to ported dynamics, but you'll sacrifice some clarity automatically in that process.

 

[ZARIM]

The Sony EX1000+ZO will give you the clarity, soundstage and bass you want in IEMs. The JVC FX700, Sennheiser IE80 are also recommended they offers overall good clarity and deep punchy bass with wide soundstage. The custom IEMs like Westone ES5 are definitely upgrade over SE535 with wider soundstage, more midrange, highs details and deeper punchier bass.

 

[dc-k]

I felt I had a much better bass on my 535s with custom sleeves, you could get them for a fraction of your suggested budget... and if it doesn't work, you've got a scan ready for the custom IEMs..

 

[dc-k]

just awaiting delivery of my ACS T1 custom IEMs, will report on how much they differ from SE535s shortly

 

[scuttle]

Quote:

the 535s are damn good IEM's and you are going to have a hard time finding something significantly better...i know because i own them along with the westone 3 and etymotics as well.....

Different tips might be a good idea - sound like there isn't a proper seal.
 
Also, has anyone asked what player the guy is using? Rockboxing might improve the EQ.

 

[dc-k]

Been listening to my ACS T1s for a couple of days now and the improvement on the Shure 535s is significant, particularly in detail and width of sound. Even on relatively low quality CD rips (128 and 192, taken when storage was a real issue) the listening experience is at a whole new level. a similar leap from S215 to 535s.
 
They continue to improve with use...

 

[Kurdt-bada]

ex 1000 demolish the 535 too

 

[meefer]

First off, try some other tips for a better seal. It make sa huge difference in any IEM
 
Significantly more bass than a 535 is easy, achieving those low frequencies while maintaining overall sound quality is going to be much harder to find. If all you wanted was bass, I'd say just get some hippo VBs, FS Atrios, or an old pair of Super Fi 5 EBs and call it a day. If you want a high level of detail, maybe try the Sennheiser IE80s. Those were good enough for me so I stopped before getting customs made (I was looking at 1964 Quads).

 

[jlbrach]

once you get to the shure 535 improvements become a bit of diminishing returns..you might find another IEM whose sound signature you might like better like etymotic etc...but in truth I dont think you will necesarily find better.......it all becomes subjective just as differenciating between BMW and mercedes is subjective

 

[planx]

I liked the SE535, but I didn't like it enough. That's why I find the Etymotic ER4S and Audeo PFE232 to be much better IEMs for me. Like a lot of people said, everything can be/is subjective. People will agree with me saying that the PFE232s are better than the SE535, others will say opposite. It's just up to the person to decide what's right and wrong. I say keep the SE535 and try buying different IEMs (doesn't have to be high-tier) and then maybe you will be able to look at your SE535 through a different perspective? That's what happened to me. I thought my Grado SR225i's were a complete waste of money at first, then I tried it with metal music and I was, and still am, in love with these cans. I kept on comparing them to my HD-25-ii and AKGs. With metal, those cans cannot compete with the grados.

 

[garetjax1]

once you get to the shure 535 improvements become a bit of diminishing returns..you might find another IEM whose sound signature you might like better like etymotic etc...but in truth I dont think you will necesarily find better.......it all becomes subjective just as differenciating between BMW and mercedes is subjective

The Jh-3a system is, IMO, orders of magnitude beyond the 535